KORIR: Kenya's Olympic preparations for 2020 are on the right track

We are undoubtedly on the right track for our preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo if the results of the World Under-20 Championships years that have just ended in Tampere, Finland is something to do.

Yes, Kenya finished at the top of the world with six gold medals, four silver and one bronze, a feat accomplished nearly eight years ago.

It was a good show considering that the last time Kenya won the world title was in 2010 in Moncton, Canada where we collected seven gold, four silver and four gold medals. bronze.

our eternal rivals, Jamaica and the USA, respectively in second and third place. Jamaica won four gold, five silver and three bronze while the United States collected three gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals.

The situation in Ethiopia was even worse with three gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Kenya's gold medals were won by George Manangoi (1,500m), Rhonex Kipruto (10,000), Beatrice Chebet (5,000m), Celiphine Chespol (3,000m SC), Edward Zakayo (5,000m) m) and Solomon Lekuta (800 m). Stanley Waithaka (5000m), Ngeno Kipngetich (800m), Leonard Bett (3000m) and Miriam Cherop (1.500m) settled for silver medals while Justus Soget won the bronze medal.

Clearly, the results are not a coincidence.

We built over time as a country. If your memory is good and I hope that will be the case, it is the same riders who represented Kenya at the U18 World Championships in Nairobi last year

. We are on the right track to realize this dream. Zakayo in particular, has been on the ascending project and he seems not to stop it.

He was also impressive at the Commonwealth Games in April, placing third in the 5000m-a feat that was achieved by very few athletes at that age.

Rhonex, Chebet, Chespol and Lekuta are the other athletes to grow quickly. In fact, before Tokyo 2020, I see many senior athletes excluded from the World Championships next year in Doha, Qatar.

However, that does not mean that young athletes should sit on laurels and relax. ] A lot of things will have to be done in the next few days if they have to match the best runners in their respective frames.